Relationship between personality and decision making styles among college students

Abstract

Personality can be defined as a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influences his or her cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations (Ryckman, 2004). Decisionmaking is a construct linked to human behavior and thus receives scientific consideration in the field of psychology. The premise underlying decision research is that the decisions we make on a daily basis to shape our lives. Decision-makers are required to make effective decisions to adapt to the changing environment, maintain social competence, and reach goals (Nezu& Ronan, 1987; Hastie, 2001).The present study was aimed at understanding the relationship between personality and decision making styles among college students. Big-five Inventory (John and Srivastava, 1999) was used to assess the personality traits and Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire (Mann, 1982) was used to assess the decision making styles. 100 samples consisting of 50 under graduates and 50 Post Graduates students participated in the study. A convenient sampling technique was used to collect the samples. Descriptive statistics, t-test and correlation were the methods used to analyze the data. Results indicate that no difference was found between the Under Graduates and Post graduates students on the study variables. A weak relationship was found between the study variables. The current study becomes an addition to the literature relating to decision making and personality research. The findings will help education professionals and counselors to shape students personality and develop leadership qualities to take better decisions.